Invisible Child: A Spotlight on Life in the Shadows
Dasani wakes up before dawn each day at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, New York. After slipping out from under the covers, she goes to the window. On a clear day, she can see all...
Ababy’s brain begins to develop neurons before birth.i This scientific fact makes it possible for a child to start relating directly with the world since such an early age, including the ability to learn from daily interactions with you, the early childhood educator. This blog serves as an introduction to the importance of cognitive learning. It also shows how all educators can contribute to infant and toddler brain development by helping them achieve certain milestones with applied early education expertise and practices.
The youngest children in an early education setting are infants and toddlers, whose cognitive development is like a learning sponge from ages zero to three years. Think about this, and how you as a current or future CDA holder for the infant and toddler setting can contribute to the development of so many young lives beginning their earliest stages of learning. The ways in which you help children learn and develop cognitive milestones has the potential to impact young lives by contributing to their brain development; a crucial human component that can shape their lives for years to come. For instance, science proves that from as early as the first two days of life, newborns have an approximate sense of numbers – a cognitive ability.ii
You can learn more about the necessary skills to help children develop cognitively through educational training and professional development in order to provide a wholesome learning experience for infants and toddlers. Cognition is covered in the CDA’s Functional Area 5, which requires all CDA candidates are able to use a variety of developmentally appropriate learning experiences and teaching strategies to promote curiosity, reasoning, and problem-solving and to lay the foundation for all later learning.
All educators have the power to mold and help develop the brain in a healthy and positive manner when working with young children. According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, experiences influence other developmental aspectsiv:
“The basic architecture of the brain is constructed through an ongoing process that begins before birth and continues into adulthood. Early experiences affect the quality of that architecture by establishing either a sturdy or a fragile foundation for all of the learning, health and behavior that follow.”
The degree of cognitive learning in the early childhood years is dramatic, and these skills fall into nine categoriesiii:
Knowing and practicing cognitive learning when working with infants and toddlers can help them achieve certain cognitive milestones that promote their development. But remember, each child develops at his or her own paceiii. Here are three cognitive learning phases infants and toddlers experience:
Young infants (birth to 8 months): Beginning to explore
Mobile infants (9 – 17 months): Paying attention and imitating
Toddlers (18-36 months): Actively engaging
The daily interactions early educators have with the children underscore the power and impact of high-quality early education, according to findings from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Childv:
“Research on the developing brain shows us that early childhood experiences build the foundation for a skilled workforce, a responsible community, and a thriving economy…To ensure that children develop these capacities; it’s helpful to understand how the quality of the interactions and experiences that our communities provide for them either strengthens or undermines these emerging skills.”
As research continues to support the need for coursework and training that supports the CDA’s Cognitive Competency Area, early childhood educators have a responsibility to young children, families and communities to be well-trained. As an educator, the ability to interact with infants and toddlers will help develop their cognitive skills and ultimately enhance their brain development as they reach milestones by helping them witness and react to daily curiosities in their environment (e.g. how plants grow, why blocks fall), how cause and effect happens (e.g. positive vs. negative behavior), experiencing what they learn (e.g. coloring within the lines, sharing with others), and even expressing emotions or thoughts.
i The University of Georgia (2017). Building Baby’s Brain: The Basics. Retrieved from http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1053-01.Dasani wakes up before dawn each day at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, New York. After slipping out from under the covers, she goes to the window. On a clear day, she can see all...
The CDA Advisory Committee was created to provide insights, perspectives, and best practices to the CDA community and other early childhood professionals. Established during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the members’ first-hand experiences...
Where can you connect with CDA® holders and the wide range of folks who serve them? Turn to the Council Alumni Network (CAN), an online community that brings together current and past CDA earners, CDA...
Professional development is absolutely critical to your success, as well as the success of all the children in your care. Not to mention in most states, you’re required to complete a minimum number of training...
This month marks my second year at the Council for Professional Recognition. When I first arrived at the Council, I was no stranger to the organization or its mission, as I had been involved with...
Schools are microcosms of the world beyond their walls. Factors like race, culture, class and gender set the stage for what takes place in our schools as learners from different groups interact. The conflicts that...
There is no denying the academic and emotional impact of the pandemic on children. News websites and TV newscasts are full of stories about the unknown long-term effects of the past two years on kids....
Finding informative and trusted early childhood educator resources online can be a challenge. That’s why the CDA® Advisory Committee met virtually to learn more about the nonprofit, The Source for Learning (SFL) and its ECE...
Each year I update my professional bio and pause at the part where it says, “Rachel Robertson has worked in the field for over X years”. Not because I can’t believe it or can’t remember,...
Chief Operations Officer
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Read our monthly e-newsletter and keep up to date on all Council programs and services, as well as the latest news in the world of early care and education. Subscribe today to stay connected with us. You’ll receive timely information on events, webinars, special promotions, and more.